Youko no Konoha
by JodeRobin
Summary: A new twist on YYHxN crossovers, plus the 'naruto has family' vein. When naruto finds his family, will he still strive for Hokage, or will he become something more?
1. Chapter 1

**Oreo; Alright, I know I should be working on other stories, but this won't leave me alone. Don't worry, all my others will be updated soon.**

Chapter 1

Naruto sat cheerfully on the stool at his favorite eatery, Ichiraku Ramen. The sun had risen two hours ago, and the six-year old blond was enjoying the salty heaven that Teuchi made with love, seated comfortably on the stool specially reserved for him, and him only. With a stack of bowls up to his nose, Naruto almost didn't notice the old man slide into the seat next to him. A few minutes of silence, while the stranger checked over the menu, until the tired old voice came out so calmly, Naruto felt like he could give the old man a hug, even without knowing him.

"One order of inari-zushi, please."

Naruto frowned at this. Who would order sushi at a ramen stand? "Hey, jiji! Don't you know this is a ramen stand? Why didn't you go somewhere else?" the old man turned to the young blond, his long white hair parting over an elegant aged face while the straight posture given by a strong back softened slightly. His aged emerald eyes sparkled with amusement.

"Well, young man, I liked the look of this place, and I rarely come to Konoha, so I don't know my way around very well."

Naruto blinked. He'd never met someone from outside of Konoha before! "r-really!?" the blond grinned and started bouncing around. "What's it like outside? Where are you from? How far are you from home? What's-" The old man just laughed at the boys enthusiasm.

"Please, young man, I need to eat! How about we go for a walk after we're done, and I'll tell you all you want to know, alright?" Sure enough, a plate of the sushi, and another bowl of ramen had found their places on the counter. Three bowls and one plate later both slid off the stools, the old man silencing Naruto's protests when the man paid the tab.

Naruto timidly slipped his hand into the old man's, chattering question after question, all of which the old man answered with a smile. Eventually finding their way to a park, the old man asked if Naruto wanted to sit for a while. "To rest my old bones," he joked with a wink. Snuggling into the kind old man's arms, Naruto inhaled his scent of roses, trees, dirt, and sushi. Looking into the old man's eyes, the blond finally got the courage to ask the one question that had been plaguing his young mind all day.

"Ano… jiji, who are you, exactly? No one but Hokage-jiji, Inu-ani, Iruka-ani, Ichiraku-jiji and Ayame-nee-chan have been this nice to me before." The boy fidgeted nervously with downcast eyes before glancing up into kind green eyes. The old man gave a sad smile at the youngster in his arms, the noon-day sun paling in contrast to the boys golden locks. "I'm exactly what you've named me, Naruto-kun. I'm sorry I haven't been there all this time."

Narutos cerulean eyes widened in shock. "y-you're my Jiji?" at the old mans nod, the boy threw his arms around his grandfather's neck, sobbing all his troubles into the long hair, still soft despite the wear-and-tear of age. "There now, Naruto-kun. It's ok, it's ok." Jiji rubbed his hands in soothing circles on Naruto's back, whispering reassurances into the young boy's ear. After an hour of letting himself cry all of his problems, insecurities and promises into his new-found grandfather's ear, Naruto pulled back to look into those kind eyes, emerald-green as the leaves in the trees. Still sniffling slightly, he curled up, safe in the old man's arms for the first time in his life. Jiji's eyes took on a sadder cast, guilty at the fact that his next words would bring his young grandson to even more tears.

"Naruto-kun, I'm sorry to have to tell you this when we've finally found each other, but this will be our last time together."

Sleepy blue eyes were no longer sleepy, as Naruto bolted up in fear, his terrified eyes looking deep into solemn green eyes. "W-What?" Jiji sighed sadly, hugging Naruto tighter, tears leaking out of the corners of his eyes.

"I'm dying, Naruto-kun. This is my last day alive."

"N-no! Y-you can't" hic "die! W-we j-just got to meet each other!" hic "Please!" Naruto broke into tears, sobbing into his grandfather's silk tunic. Jiji just held the boy, crying his own silent tears. Feeling a sudden pain in his chest, the old man knew he was entering his final moments. He shifted his grandson so he could search through his pocket.

"Naruto-kun." The young blond looked into the man's face, tears still streaming down his cheeks. "Listen, now. I need you to be a strong boy for me, alright? We'll see each other again at the end of your life. So live long, because I want bragging rights, alright?" Naruto grinned and nodding, wiping at his moist eyes with his arm. The old man smiled at the boy's determination before putting a large pouch in the boy's hands.

"Listen up, young man. No more crying, unless it's tears of joy. I know I couldn't be there for you in the past or future, but this gift should make up for all the birthdays I have, and will, miss. They're my own special weapon, and no one else can use it. I trust you to be able to use them properly." Naruto saluted the old man, bag dangling from his hand. The old man laughed one last time, grabbing Naruto into a light hug. Naruto hugged back, arms firmly around his neck, as the man breathed his last breath into the blond's ear, going more peacefully than he could have hoped.

Naruto held in a sad sniffle, remembering his promise not to show how sad he was. His last known family member had given him a glimpse of what life could have been like, and the young boy had no wish to dishonor him. Hearing a poof, Naruto turned slightly, taking in the sight of the old Hokage.

"Naruto-kun, are you alright?"

"Y-yeah…. Hokage-jiji, will you help me bury him?"

The elderly Sarutobi let out a sigh, seeing how much this mystery-man's death had shaken the boy. "All right, Naruto-kun. Is there any place in particular?"

Young Naruto silently pointed to the Hokage monument. "I-I want to be able to visit him. I-I think he would have liked it up there if I had had the time to take him there." Sarutobi smiled sadly, nodding as he collected the child from the corpses stiffening grasp. Hoisting the blond onto his shoulders, the Sandaime lifted the cooled body in a bridal hold, putting his hands into the proper seals around his load.

An hour later, leaves were floating on a breeze on the clear space behind the Hokage heads. A lone gray tombstone sat in the clearing, baring witness to the life going on in the village below. A few words had been lovingly carved onto its surface.

_Kurama_

_Loving Father_

_Dedicated Grandfather_

_May your spirit bare witness_

_To the growth of a legend_

**TBC**

**Oreo; Well, I was planning on writing more for this chapter, but seems that the story had a different idea. In case you didn't notice at the end, this story will be a crossover with Yu Yu Hakusho. Of course, I don't think the other characters will be appearing in this story, except maybe to the side. Now, read and review, please!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Oreo; Wow, the next chapter already! Hehe I like this one… for now. Now, let's get wild!**

Naruto gripped the Sandaime's hand tighter as he looked at the fence surrounding the low house in front of him. The modest wooden fence was about six feet high, just enough to offer privacy, stained a natural brown. Walking through the simple wooden gate, however, made Naruto feel a tingling sensation, and he noticed he had heard nothing from inside the fence before stepping through.

The blond took a quick look around, noticing short green grass that looked well cared for, and an abundance of flowers and plants of all varieties in ten well organized lots. Three medium sized green houses dotted the yard, each one having a different color of frame, and each with its own quirk. The greenhouse with the light blue frame had frost surrounding the glass from the inside, and made Naruto yelp at the cold when he pressed his hand against it. Moving on, the red greenhouse about two meters away gave off heat waves, the light inside seeming to burn with the heat. The third of these greenhouses was a deep blue-green, and peering inside warily, he noticed floating plastic platforms and a flooded floor with plant tops sticking from the surface.

Looking from his new vantage point, Naruto surveyed the small house. Two stories tall, a large side window gave full view to a spacious kitchen and dining area. Most of the actual room on the lot was taken up by the garden, leaving room for only four moderately-sized rooms on the bottom and top floor each. Solid wood walls were glazed against the time and weather, keeping the natural color of the wood. Only after brushing his fingertips against the wood did Naruto notice the intricate carvings made into the very walls of the house. Repeating seals took up the bulk of the walls, so small that it would take actual physical contact for them to seem anything but an odd grain to the wood. Around the bottom of the house were lovingly carved pictures of scenery, animals and most predominately, plants of all sorts. He had leaned down to brush his fingers along, taken with the more twisted, mutated plants, those that seemed like they didn't belong in this world at all. A tree with acid spilling mouths, an ominous, heavily gnarled tree, and a vine plant that looked like it would strike at any second were among these.

Naruto straightened, paying attention to the rest of the house once again. The top floor was peppered with small windows, their soft yellow windowsills holding colorfully flowering plants. He let out a soft breath at how comforting this place was, how he had never felt so safe anywhere before. Looking around for the Hokage, as his idling thoughts had taken him around a corner, he noticed a huge black greenhouse, one that he should have seen when he first came in, but didn't. As he stepped closer, he could feel that this one was different, more ominous than the other, smaller greenhouses. A strange scent filled the air when he stepped even closer, a scent he knew, but couldn't identify. Hearing a small voice that seemed a long ways away, he paused, listening again before the mysterious greenhouse pulled him even closer.

Pushed right up against the glass, his eyes went wide as he learned the source of the scent.

Blood.

Naruto took a step back as he saw three bodies being torn up and thrown around by plants in the greenhouse, all of them the dangerous, mutated looking plants from some of the carvings. He backed away even farther, struggling to get away from the scent of blood, the scent that was stealing the air from his very lungs. Backpedaling, he found himself in a pair of strong arms, the same ones that had saved him multiple times in the past, one of the two pairs that had always been there. Fear not allowing his brain to think clearly, he curled into the supportive arms, whispering out the man's name as he knew him.

"Inu-ani."

Naruto woke up on an unfamiliar couch in an unfamiliar room, late afternoon sun slanting into the calming green room through a window. Sitting up, he took in the small glass-top coffee table, the oak writing desk against the opposite wall, and the numerous pictures hanging around the room, showing many people Naruto didn't know. His attention was brought back to the large picture hanging over the desk. Three smiling people, were huddled comfortably close, the two men with arms on the one woman, who was heavily pregnant, flaming red hair hanging loose down to her mid-back. Familiar shining green eyes drew him to the oldest of the two men, his straight back and long red-streaked silver hair in a low ponytail and his silken, comfortable-looking tunic hanging easily. Suddenly, Naruto understood where he was. "Jiji… otou-san… okaa-san…"

Naruto heard shuffling, and looked to the open door frame, seeing Sarutobi standing there, a look of relief on his aged face. The Hokage strode over to Naruto's couch, wrapping the boy in a warm embrace. "Naruto- kun, are you all right? We were so worried."

The blond nodded, turning his attention to the three men waiting in the doorframe. Gravity-defying silver hair rose from a tilted hitae-ate and a single grey eyes shone above a blue face mask, the man's posture screamed laziness, but also strength to the observant. Next to him, a muscled man in a brown trench coat wore his hitae-ate as a bandana, cunning dark eyes evaluating the blond boy. This one gave a nod at Naruto's quick look. The last of the three men was also the youngest and the only one dressed in a chunnin outfit, kind brown eyes showing concern and his brown hair in a pineapple ponytail, the ends of the scar crossing the bridge of his nose dimpling with his warm smile.

"Hokage-jiji?"

The youngest one answered his silent question. "That hurts, Naruto-kun. Even though you've only seen us with our masks, you should be able to recognize Kakashi and me." Naruto jumped out of the Sandaime's hold, rushing over to the kind chunnin and the lazy jounin as the bandana wearing Nin backed off. "Inu-ani! Iruka-ani!" he swept both ex-Anbu into a huge flying hug, knocking both of them back a bit, his laughing exclamation filling the room. Iruka laughed as well, supporting the boy's weight as Kakashi ruffled his hair affectionately.

"Never thought I'd see the famous pair, Copy-Nin Kakashi and Heat-Seeker Iruka get knocked back by a little kid." The gravely voice brought the trio's attention back to the trench coat-wearing man. He held out his hand to the young blond. "Nice to meet you, kid. Name's Ibiki." Naruto looked at the man, recognizing the name from the times he's been beaten by mobs. "Ibiki? As in the same Ibiki who deals with the mean people who hurt me?" eyebrows rose all around, as Ibiki nodded slowly. Naruto grinned and grasped the still out-stretched hand. "Thanks, Ibiki-ani! Because of you, fewer people attack me."

All four adults let out a breath of relief, and Ibiki grinned back. "My pleasure, kid. People who would attack a little kid are worth less than dust, and about as useful."

Naruto smiled, looking around at all the friendly faces. "Not that I'm complaining, but what are you three doing here?" Sarutobi stepped forward, and gestured to the gathered shinobi. "These three are the last members of the two teams your parents taught, Naruto." Bright blue orbs went wide. "M-My parents?"

Sarutobi nodded, smiling at the boy's surprise.

"Yes. Kakashi was your father's little 'protégé,' and is the only surviving member of his team. Iruka and Ibiki were teammates under your mother, even though their third teammate died years ago. They've been taking care of the house, and you, since your parents died." Naruto sent a glance at the three shinobi he now thought of as brothers, eyes shining with curiosity.

"What were their names?"

Iruka smiled, setting Naruto down on the ground. "Minato and Kushina. Come, Naruto-kun. Lets sit at the table, and the four of us can answer all of your questions."

Naruto lay down in his new bed, the three boxes containing all his belongings from his old apartment, his head spinning with all he had learned. Rolling off his bed, he padded over to his window, opening it to let in the clean night air, the night-blooming flowers filling his nostrils and clearing his clouded mind. He looked over the yard of his new home, a place he felt he had been in his whole life. Tall strong trees lent shade and shelter to airborne animals and other tree dwellers, blooming flowers glowing softly in the cleansing moonlight as their daylight relatives had closed for the night.

Taking another deep breath, Naruto looked up, taking in the perfect view of the Hokage monument as the silver disk of a moon hung on high in a clear, cloudless night.

His sight was heavy after an hour of watching the calm beauty, and he trod lightly back to his soft bed, sliding into its soothing embrace.

Naruto trotted out of his home bright eyed and energetic. Three months had passed, and he had learned pretty much everything about his new home, from the secret hiding places, to the immediate spot where anything was kept, to the care of each greenhouse and plots of plants. Well, every greenhouse except for the large one, the one where plants ate people and anything else that wandered in there.

The blond shook his head at that thought, focusing instead on his destination. The Hokage had told him about a new librarian, one that didn't seem to hate him, and Naruto planned on using that to his advantage. He had always wondered what the library was like, and this was his only chance to find out.

Soon the seven-year old had reached the stone steps of the large building, taking them two at a time. The chiming of a bell overhead signaled his entrance, and he looked around the air-conditioned building with curiosity. Large bookshelves dominated the room, all filled with scrolls, seeming like enormous troves made for exploring, comfortable chairs and tables spread out in spacious areas for relaxing, these little clearings safe havens for entering the world of words. Naruto inhaled and the scent of paper, ink, and leather drew him in further, snaking around him like a cat or lover.

"Can I help you, young man?"

Naruto turned his attention to the young voice, taking in the sight of the twenty-something woman, her long brown hair drawn back in a loose ponytail, elegant glasses perched on a delicate nose, warm moss-green eyes shining kindly. The blond smiled at the woman, blue eyes trusting her completely. "Yes please. This is my first time here and well…" She smiled. "No problem. I'll give you the grand tour." He grinned at her, taking her offered hand. Little did he know that this little trip would change the way he saw the world.

Naruto nudged the gate, fumbling at the latch around his load. Getting his foot through the gate, he shouldered his way in, the scrolls in his arms making things awkward. Feeling the tingle of the sound barrier, Naruto let out a sigh of relief, clipping the gate back into place. Trotting over to one of the nearby trees, a solid oak, Naruto shrugged off his orange jacket, placing it down next to him as he gingerly rolled the scrolls onto it. Sitting cross-legged, he sorted through the pile, trying to decide which story to read first. 'What's this?' he picked up one of the scrolls he hadn't noticed before. "The legends of Makai?" snapping the seal, the first thing on the unfurling scroll was a foreign map, one of places he hadn't even heard about, under the title of three different countries.

Leaning against the tree, Naruto spent the rest of the day reading the scroll, struggling over some of the harder words, completely and utterly fascinated by what the scroll was saying, the story scrolls laying forgotten on his jacket.

It was this sight that Ibiki, Kakashi, Iruka, and Sarutobi came across when they came around for supper. They literally had to drag him away from the scroll, only to hear all that Naruto had learned from that one scroll. Surprised at what Naruto had found, Ibiki and Iruka found it appropriate to inform Naruto of a certain aspect of his heritage. Iruka swallowed the lump in his throat, knowing this could permanently damage part of the boy's psyche.

"Naruto, this Makai is where demons are from, right?"

"Yeah. It's cool the natural abilities they have, like the Youko clan, which were whipped out by one of their own, Youko Kurama. Neat that my Jiji had the same first name, isn't it?" Ibiki cleared his throat as Kakashi choked on his rice.

"About that, Naruto. You see your jiji and the Youko share a name because, well, they're the same person."

"Yeah that's so—Whaaa?" Naruto stopped, Ibiki's words finally reaching his brain. Kakashi had finally cleared his throat of the persistent rice blockage.

"They're right. You're half-demon, the demon being from your mother's side."

The blonds eyes rolled back and he fainted, the Sandaime barely managed to stop the boy from falling into his rice. He sent a disapproving glance at his subordinates, carrying Naruto up to his room. Iruka shook his head at Ibiki's and Kakashi's lack of tact, following behind Sarutobi after grabbing Naruto's scrolls from the living room, leaving both men to clean up from the short supper.

**TBC**

**Oreo; Surprise! Hehe. Not a lot done in this chapter, but it'll get moving pretty soon. The next chapter will be a larger time skip from this one, and should be drastically longer. Real action next chapter, I promise. And Naruto finds an ability and hobby he inherited from his infamous grandfather, one that'll be a huge inconvenience to shinobi everywhere! Muahahaha. Lol. A little crazy at the moment, but ah well. Ja!**


	3. Chapter 3

Eight-year old Naruto juggled his library scrolls, thinking back to all that had happened over the last two years. Finding three more people who cared about him had been amazing, and only got better as he got to know them. The librarian, Ms. Taiga, was a kind woman willing to help him satisfy his curiosities about anything and everything. The blond had lost track of evenings spent in her company, sorting through books together in good humor. She even knew about his heritage, and had promised to never tell a soul, becoming the mother-figure in his life.

Kakashi was like the cool uncle, training his reflexes and giving little hints towards beating a stronger enemy. He even put up with his 'rival,' Maito Gai, just to find a fighting style to suit the blond. Other boys might laugh if they found out, but flexibility training and gymnastic-type flips suited him perfectly. Conventional weapons weren't for him, but Kakashi also located a whip for Naruto after the two discovered that Kurama had left Naruto his signature Rose Whip. Turns out, Icha Icha wasn't that perverted. It had a decent plot and character development, so long as you skipped the various sex scenes. Most of the author's research was actually on human interactions, not just anatomy.

Ibiki was more like a big brother, and a bit more involved with Naruto than Kakashi was. The scarred man had taught Naruto tactics, and how to get inside someone's head, almost literally. Who needed the sharingan when you could read someone by body language alone? It was a generally unknown fact that the man viewed Anko as his little sister, and was looking for a Hyuuga to train as a successor.

But of course, the man closest to Naruto was Iruka. The thin dolphin taught Naruto etiquette and history, as well as improving the boy's already-strong senses. He played shoji and go with the blond, even got him a battle simulator, a device that can re-enact any battle and uses chakra as an energy source. Iruka loved gardening, and could name many of the plants in any of the four greenhouses, the black one of which Naruto was forbidden to step foot in.

Of course, his grandfather's heritage showed in more than his senses and interests. Finding a curious old scroll with Ms Taiga, Naruto delved into a world that shinobi had long forsaken. The ancient art of picking locks. Of course Naruto never used this skill to steal anything.

His relationship with the village had also improved, as a leak had revealed his paternal parentage. Nowadays, Naruto was showered with all the attention he could want. Even so, he still worked his ass off to improve, pulling a prank or two from the shadows. His stealth increased dramatically, and he was starting to feel the energy that his mother and grandfather had used, which was a nudge different from chakra. The blond was developing his own Reiki.

Naruto hummed happily as some adults waved at him from their window ledge, continuing on his way to the Hokage Monument. Tomorrow was his first day at the Academy.

The clean, fresh morning air filtering through the greenhouse rustled his shoulder-length blond hair, the soft spikes brushing his face as he got up from his crouch. By his estimation of the sun's position, it was about time to be heading off for his first day. The house was silent, the occupants gone their own ways as Naruto stretched, brushing his brown silk sleeves as he did so. A long dark orange over-tunic complemented his tanned complexion, dark brown trim and loose, hakama style pants added color variety. Battle slippers padded with barely a sound as the deeper water under his chakra-covered feet rippled gently.

The sliding doors opened with a throaty swoosh as Naruto padded into the room. All conversation fell silent as the room's occupants stared at the boy, gossiping whispers starting up as he got to the first step.

"Wow. So that's-"

"He's pretty cute. Think he-"

"I heard he's some kind of prodigy. Do you-"

"Nah. I've actually heard dad say he works for everything he gets. Why does-"

"He's definitely cute! I think I-"

"He's cute, but he's no Sasuke-kun! I wonder-"

"Sasuke? Who cares! Naruto-sama's way better than any old Sasuke!"

"Ha! I bet I could beat both of them in a fight! Why do girls like the pretty boys, anyways!?"

"H-hush, Kiba-kun!"

Naruto ignored the whispers, making his way to the center of the class, sliding in next to a quiet, nervous little boy with an odd hairstyle, much like a chicken's butt.

"O-ohiyo, Naruto-sama. I'm Uchiha Sasuke. N-nice to meet you!"

"Nice to meet you too, Sasuke-san. And just Naruto is fine."

Naruto reciprocated the Uchiha's smile, glad to have found someone who didn't look like they'd squeak if he asked to train with them. Just as the blond got settled, the door opened, revealing their two sensei until the age of twelve.

"Ohiyo class. I'm Iruka-sensei-"

"And I'm Mizuki-sensei! It's nice to see such bright, eager faces first thing in the morning."

"But they won't be so bright by the end of class! Even though it's the first day, we've got a lot to do in these four years."

"As you may know, it used to be six years in training, but the council thought that was too long to hold your attention,"

"So they refined it, condensing six years of studies and training into four."

"Let's get moving! Some of you may already know the area, but we're going for a tour of the grounds and building anyways."

"Keep it at a jog, and don't stop moving. If even one of you stops moving, we'll set all of you to doing pushups!"

"Now, let's keep role-call snappy, so we have more time to work with!"

"Hai Iruka-sensei, Mizuki-sensei!"

"Why, aniki, why?"

"Humph. Baka outoto. If you want to kill me, despise me, hate me, and live in an unsightly way... Run, and cling to life, and then some day, when you have the same eyes as I do, come before me."

"W-What is going on here?"

Itachi turned his focus away from his little brother, the only one to escape his genocide. There stood Konoha's most recent golden boy, Uzumaki Naruto. The green clad blond seemed to be in shock at the site of the Uchiha District. Blood was splattered everywhere, as bodies had been hacked apart in the streets, limbs hanging out of windows and doors. A cold wind blew, enough to send shivers up all but the hardiest spines as the decorations and signs of everyday life of pause fluttered despairingly. Itachi took a step closer to both boys, making them flinch slightly.

"I-Itachi-san?"

"I apologize, _Naruto-sama_ but I can not let the two of you leave here alive, or at the very least, sane."

"Wh-what?"

Naruto took another step back, terrified when Sasuke started screaming bloody murder after a second of glancing in the murderer's eyes.

Frightened cerulean orbs met cold red-and-black orbs, and the world was black and white, with a blood-drenched sky. Itachi disappeared, only to be replaced by…

"Jiji?"

"Don't ever call me that. You're a disgrace to the family name."

"Wh-what?"

"It's true. I regret ever bringing you into this world!"

"O-Okaasan-"

"No, the fault is mine. I should have used _his_ soul for the sealing of the beast, instead of my own."

"O-Otousan-"

Naruto looked between the three figures of his family. It couldn't be true, could it? No. It couldn't be. Jiji loved him. He heard the stories of how his parents were looking forward to his birth. It couldn't be true, it just couldn't! He felt a looming presence behind him, the hot breath of a huge beast, and the tiny feeling of being prey in the presence of a predator.

"See, little half-breed kit? No one wants you. No one loves you. No one needs you. Only me. I'm the only one that needs you. So fulfill my need and FEED MY STOMACH!"

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! NO! NO! GET AWAY! JIJI! HOKAGE-SAMA! SOMEBODY! AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!"

"Naruto! NARUTO!! Snap out of it! Nothing's going to happen to you! Please! It's alright, you're safe now. Shhh. Shhh. It's alright. Everything's going to be okay."

"H-Hokage-jiji? Hokage-jiji! I was so- so-"

"Shhh. It's alright. Sleep now, alright? Sleep."

The following darkness was a relief as his mind couldn't help but follow the calm command.

It's been one week since the so-called Uchiha Massacre, and Naruto and Sasuke were allowed to return to the Academy, providing they showed up for regular psychiatric tests. The class was numbly silent as Naruto padded into the room. He looked around, relieved to find Sasuke in their usual spot.

"Ohiyo, Sasuke-san."

The raven ignored his typical greeting, doing nothing but staring straight ahead and ignoring the whole world. Classes that day passed as if in a dream, and Sasuke had disappeared during lunch, much to Naruto's dismay. The blond's luck caught up, however, when Naruto found Sasuke after school and approached him with his usual smile.

"Sasuke-san? What's wrong?"

"Leave me alone, Uzumaki." The smile left his face in a flash, face contorting into a worried frown.

"Hey, don't be like that! I thought we were friends."

"Hn. If that incident a week ago taught me something, it's that I don't need something like friends to hold me back. Go stagnate in your happy little world, while I get stronger, and make him pay for the things he did."

"Sasuke-san…"

**TBC**

**Oreo; Damn. I just can't get enough of this story! Expect another update relatively soon, and this is probably going to be my primary story. That doesn't mean I'm giving up on the others though. Now, I want reviews that are constructive. And if they're helpful, I'll give a special tidbit in my next update, on any story. One final bit of business;**

**When will the Dark Tournament be held?**

**Jaa!**


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